The Eye of the Storm
by luvvampluvdog
Summary: There is a hurricane in the Atlantic. To keep safe, Edward goes to a storm shelter. Who will he meet there? Part of a six POV story
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the first (at least I think so) six person POV story written for Twilight Fanfiction! That's right, there are six different people writing from six different point of views of the same story. This is Edward's POV and the other people writing are: **

**Jasper **played by **Book2romantic**

**Emmett **played by **Sierra Echo Bravo**

**Alice **played by **Shaps**

**Rosalie **played by **Eevy Angel**

**Bella **played by **CarribbeanLady**

**Edward **played by **luvvampluvdog**

**You don't need to read theirs to know what is going on, but you really should read them. You can find any of them by searching for "Eye of the Storm" in story titles or search for a community called "Morehead City, NC." Hope you enjoy it!**

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The driving was starting to get tedious, but anything was better than sitting back at home. As I crossed the border into North Carolina, my stomach growled. "Of course, I run away and forget to bring the obvious," I muttered to myself. I sighed in frustration. I didn't want to stop driving. It seemed to be helping with my nerves. Turning off the road, I pulled into a little diner called Darry's. It looked like the kind of place that had good service and even better food, the type of place that happy families went. The sort of families that went to their kids little league games instead of hiring a personal trainer. The sort of families that enjoy making cookies together on Sunday nights instead of importing them in from California.

As I expected, there was a small family of four, laughing, sitting around a circular table in the middle of the restaurant when I walked in. I loped over to a booth in the corner, as far away from the family as I could get. I didn't want to deflate their good mood. A waitress soon strode over. Her features were of average beauty; chocolate brown hair that looked like it had been straightened too much and dark hazel eyes sat on an oblong face. She looked to be about forty, most likely with kids. Her smile seemed to hide away any flaws she had. It was big and genuine. The lines on her face clearly stated that there wasn't a whole lot of time that smile wasn't present. There were small worry lines by her eyes, though. Probably etched there from loving someone, a husband or child. She reminded me of my mom before my dad died.

"Hi! My names Janet and I'll be your server today. What can I get for you, hun?"

"I'll just have a burger, thanks."

"One burger coming right up." She walked away leaving me to my thoughts.

Her smile made me think about why I left. My fingers pinched the bridge of my nose instinctively, something I did whenever I was angry or upset. The reason why I left was a very stupid one. It's not like I ever wanted for anything. I lived in a house bigger than my school. I had every gaming system ever made as well as countless games, even multiple copies of some. The Volvo S60 sitting outside was mine and mine only. My top-of-the-line stereo could be heard throughout the whole house clear as a bell and my eight foot grand piano was the best of the best. Everything I wanted, I got. Mother made sure that our abundance of money didn't go to my head too much. She raised me like a perfect gentleman, ensuring I kept up my grades and always carried groceries for the old ladies. After my father died, she doubled her efforts. I soon found myself enrolled in ballroom dance and dinner etiquette classes. She had me fitted for a tux and brought me along to some of the more prestigious parties in Chicago.

Janet came waltzing back with one of the biggest burgers I had ever seen. Whatever part of the plate wasn't covered by the hamburger was overflowing with golden French fries. "Here you are sir." She sat the plate down, beaming the whole time.

"Thanks," I said sincerely, all my manners lessons paying off. I hadn't had a hamburger in years and I tucked in greedily. As I did, scenes from the past months flashed through my mind.

**FLASHBACK**

_Waltzing around with a girl in a flowing purple dress in a sparkling ballroom... Sitting at my twenty foot dining table eating filet mignon alone... Piles of books surrounding me as I did my homework with a private tutor... Being best man for a guy I barely knew as he exchanged vows with a girl he hated._

**END FLASHBACK**

So far, that was what my life consisted of and I hated it. What's more, I hated myself for hating it. Here I was with tons of money, a good education, and quite a few girls to choose from and I still wasn't happy. There were so many people who would kill for my wealth and I didn't even care. I knew that I was quite well off. I knew that I had every worldly possession I could ever dream of, yet I still wasn't happy. I was the most despicable thing to walk this earth. I was supposed to be living the perfect life yet I was depressed. This life was some cruel trick. It makes you believe that a state-of-the-art car will make you ecstatic when all it does is dig you deeper and deeper into the pit of misery.

I finished my burger and set a twenty on the table, anxious to get back on the road. I climbed into my car and shook my head in disgust when I heard the engine start up. I didn't deserve this. Pulling back onto the road, I continued east. I had no clue where I was going, just away from Chicago.

'You're a coward,' my mind told me.

'How?' I challenged back.

'You're running away like a chicken and you don't even have a good reason to be running.'

'Are you kidding me? My life sucked.' My hand flew back to my nose. It seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

'You had everything possible.'

I gave up arguing with myself. I knew that I was a coward, running away from everything. About two hours later it started raining. The weather matched my mood perfectly. Now my whole world was dark, mentally and physically. Dark and pointless and wasteful. The rain starts to fall harder, pelting my windshield. Soon, it gets to the point where I can't see anything. 'Maybe if I keep going I'll crash and die,' I thought. It seemed like a good plan until I thought of the possibility that I might hurt someone else. While I may be the pits, others have perfectly enjoyable lives and I don't want to end them. Up ahead there is a little motel and I pull over. Hopping out, I jog over to the door, trying to stay as dry as possible. Right as I reach to open the door, it's pushed open from the other side.

"Oh," the old lady squeals, not expecting me there.

"Excuse me. I didn't mean to frighten you," I tell her.

"It's quite all right," she says, a slight English accent weaving in and out of her speech. She steps out of the building under the overhang and looks up at me. With her wispy white hair, she looks to be about eighty. "Would you mind shutting that door for me, son? I need to lock up now."

"Lock up?" I ask, incredulously. "It's only 5:00!" I instantly felt bad for my remark. With her flowery perfume and big carpet handbag, she seemed like the kind of women that would make the dream grandma. Beside's who she seemed like, the one thing my mother had taught me was to be polite no matter what.

"Don't you see those clouds, dear? There's a hurricane coming and I don't want to be stuck in it. No sir-ee." She kept mumbling to her self about the hurricane as I let go of the door in a daze.

A hurricane? Where do I go now? It's not like I had a plan before, but the direction I was going seemed to be a good one. The old woman seemed to read my mind.

"There's a hurricane shelter about twenty minutes east of here in a little place called Morehead City."

I thanked her and climbed in my car once more. Morehead City, here we come.

**Well, what did you think? Go ahead and tell me in a nice little review! Those things just make my day. :) Or, as always with my stories, if you have nothing to say about the chapter tell me what your dream job would be. (If anyone is wondering, my is a crayon namer. My fallback career is a psychiatrist. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Welcome to Chapter Two of Edwards POV. Incase you don't know, this is part of a six POV story. Here is who writing also:**

**Jasper **played by **Book2romantic**

**Emmett **played by **Sierra Echo Bravo**

**Alice**played by **Shaps**

**Rosalie **played by **Eevy Angel**

**Bella **played by **CarribbeanLady**

**Edward **played by **luvvampluvdog**

**To find the rest of the stories, you can just search for "Eye of the Storm" under story title or look for a C2 called "Morehead City, NC." Onward we press with Edward:**

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The twenty minutes drive was short compared to how long I had been in the car, but my mind seemed to make it longer. I kept thinking about my life, but this time my mind took me to my childhood, before my father died and before I was thrown into the whirlwind life of a rich bachelor in Chicago. I remember particularly the two years of vacation spent in Jacksonville, Florida.

My father had gone down there for a business trip in the spring and absolutely fell in love with the place. He took my mother down for a weekend, just the two of them, a sort of romantic getaway. She too fell in love with Jacksonville and a few weeks later, we had a vacation home there. The house was beautiful, it practically had a lake in the back yard. Over the years though, the house and the lake held but a figment of my attention because living in the house next to us was Bella Swan.

Just thinking her name sent shivers through my body. 'Get a hold on yourself Edward. She for sure has a boyfriend now. She probably doesn't even remember you.' I shook my head, trying to clear it of the thoughts of the girl I shared my first, and most amazing, relationship with.

AT first, we were just friends, but it quickly grew into something more as we realized our feelings for each other. I shared my first kiss with her one summer night on the banks of the lake. I sneaked over to her house in the middle of the night to watch her sleep. I called her almost every day that I wasn't down in Jacksonville. Then, it all changed.

My father suddenly died of a heart attack and my mother sold the vacation home. She couldn't stand to be somewhere that held memories of him around every corner. She completely dunked me into the prestigious life that both her and he were a part of. I got a private tutor and many classes, spending my Firday nights at cocktail parties instead of the movies like most teens my age.

At first, the only thing I disliked about my new life was the absence of Bella. I never saw her after my father died, and slowly, we lost contact with each other. I missed her terribly and was still upset with my mother for taking her out of my life, more so then I was that she had forced me into this new life.

The sight of a big church all lit up, despite the coming hurricane, pulled me out of my thoughts. It took me a moment to realize that this must be the hurricane shelter. I had been driving for long enough and there certainly were enough people there. I pulled into the parking lot and found a spot in the corner farthest away from the front doors. I took my time turning off the car and grabbing my jacket and duffel bag.

I climbed out of the car and even though my mind was screaming at me to run or at least walk faster, I couldn't seem to make my legs move any faster. The weather matched my mood. Eventually, I made it to the front door and went inside.

I looked around at my surroundings, at my home for the next little while, while I tried to shake some water out of my hair. The place was huge with pews placed every few feet. People were milling around everywhere. Some were holding plates of food while others were talking to each other. My eyes finally met the ones of a nice looking lady sitting at a table in the entryway of the church. She was smiling and her smile only grew when our eyes met.

I attempted to smile back at her, but I'm sure it didn't turn out very well. My hand shot up to my head and started running through my wet hair, guaranteeing that it would once again be very disarrayed when it dried.

I stepped up to the table and offered a simple 'hey.'

"Hello yourself. I'm guessing that you need a place to stay?"

"Yes please. That would be very helpful." I silently kicked all thoughts of the past out of my head and let my body go on auto-pilot. This meant that all those manners classes kicked in.

"Okay then, your name?"

"Edward Masen." She jotted my name down on a long list on a clipboard. By the looks of it, there were almost a hundred people here.

"And where are you from?"

"Chicago Illinois." She scribbled that down too then flipped the papers on the clip board around.

"Alright then, Right now you have a room all to yourself, thought I'm sure that will change. Here's your key and your room is just down that hall." She pointed towards a door frame that many people where walking through.

I flashed her one last smile. "Thank you." I took my key and headed for the hallway. My room was maybe halfway down the hall. I knocked twice before opening the door.

It was empty except for two cots, one shoved up against each wall, and a small nightstand. That was really all there was room for. I threw my bag on the cot with the blue blanket and hung my jacket up on a hook on the wall before shaking off a little more attempting to stop the constant dripping down the back of my neck from my hair.

I walked out of the room and back into the common area. 'Well,' I thought, 'this is going to be fun.'

**Well. drop me a review and tell me what you think or if you really have nothing to say about the story, drop me a line about your favorite part of winter.**


	3. Chapter 3

Leaving the small, cramped room, I headed out back into the main room. The hallways was pretty crowded. Some people where going back towards the rooms, a few carried a bag or suitcase, others where heading back out into the open. The floor was pretty wet with puddles here and there where the floor dipped down or near an old clogged drain. By the sounds of it, the storm had really picked up. The rain kept up a constant clatter on the roof. I assumed it was rain, though I had never heard anything like it before. It sounded as if the sky was dumping buckets and buckets of marbles over my head, dumping them so fast that you could hardly pick out individual patters, just one big hum.

There were even more people milling about out in the common area than there where when I got here. There was actually a line at the registration table now and I could hardly see the tables set up at the front of the room because of the crowd around them. I saw an empty bench and loped over to it. I looked around, really scrutinizing the church for the first time. It seemed that there were more windows than wall, though all the windows were boarded up. The benches were plain, dark wood, and very hard. For some reason, when I sat down, my mind whirled me back to a different time.

I was back at the old vacation home sitting on a bench right at the edge of a lake. The sun was slowly sinking into the dark lake. The sunset changed the color of everything, making it seem as though it was a whole different world. Sitting next to me was Bella, beautiful Bella. She was staring at our intertwined hands, running her fingers over mine. He mahogany hair blew in the slight breeze, dancing in the colors of the sun.

The chatter that filled the church hurled me back into reality. I shook my head, trying to clear the memory. She was like a drug to me. It was extremely difficult to get through the day without thinking about her, and attempting to do so caused a horrible headache. When I did think about her though, it felt like I was weightless, lying about on a cloud of joy. The second the memory was gone, I could feel the side effects. My head hurt and I could hardly think straight for a while.

I stood up, thinking that maybe a walk would help to clear my brain. I wandered aimlessly for bit, realizing that I really had no where to go, before deciding on going back to my room. Surely with the surge of new people here I would have a roommate by now. I hoped that he would be interesting and could keep my mind off of Bella for how ever long we were stuck in here.

I walked into my room, expecting to find at least some sign of my roommate, but it was empty and looked just as I had left it. I sighed. Someone to talk to would be very welcome. I walked over to my cot and unzipped my bag, rifling through it for something to do. I was just about to give up when the door opened. I jerked my head up and quickly glanced at him. He was still wet from the storm and was very ragged in an old t-shirt and jeans. I would guess that he hadn't had a good nights sleep in a while. I grimaced a little at the expression on his face. Not wanting to be unpolite, I stuck my hand out.

"I take it you're stranded here for the evening also." I smiled, but I had a nagging feeling in the back of my head that this guy and I were not going to become life-long friends. He ignorned my hand and turned towards the other cot.

"Yeah," he said, rifling through his bag. I stuck my hand into my pocket as I watched him. He was obviously not from the same background as I was, though there was nothing wrong with that. Bella wasn't either. I mentally slapped myself for that thought. I pushed Bella out of my mind and focused again on the stranger. I realized that I didn't even know his name.

"I'm Edward, Edward Masen." I almost didn't expect him to respond, or if he did, to just blow me off with something like "No one gives a shit," or "Big whoop." Instead, he surprised me.

"My name's Matt." He went back to going through his bag. "And I don't give a shit." I chuckled inwardly to myself. I was close.

Through our exchange, he had made a small pile of clothes and toiletries on the cot. With his last comment, he grabbed his stuff and walked out of the room.

Well, he was interesting, just as I had hoped. Hopefully trying to figure out exactly what was with him would keep this stay interesting enough. Realizing that there was nothing left to do in the room now that I had met my roommate, I shuffled back out into the main area. There was only one person at the registration desk now and by the sounds of the storm outside, not many more people would be coming.

I walked over to the table of food, realizing that it had been a while since I had eaten. There were some veggies, crackers and cheese, and a basket of fruit. Nothing that would sustain anyone for very long. I hoped that for actual meals they gave us food that had a little more substance. I grabbed and apple and spun it around in my hands before taking a bite. I noticed a paper taped up to the wall right behind the table. There was a little bit of type at the top and then lines of handwritten words. I walked over, curious as to what it was.

**Signup list to Volunteer in the Kitchen** read the top of the paper. The rest of the paper had times and then three or four lines underneath where people could write their names in. I looked over the list thinking I might see someone I actually knew, since talking to Matt didn't seem to go so well. Of course, there was no one that I knew. No one from my social circle would ever serve food to others unless it was going to make the front page of the newspaper. I grabbed the pencil taped to the wall and wrote my name for a lunch slot tomorrow. It wasn't like I had anything better to do.

I turned around and leaned against the wall, looking around at all of the people. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I had the distinct feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced around, but seeing no one staring back, decided that it was nothing. There were quite a few people here and someone was bound to look at me one time or another.

I took one last bite of my apple and tossed it into a trash can that was close by, before making my back to the room. There was nothing left to do, and after driving all day, I was beat. I was planning on taking a shower and then hitting the sack early. As I was walking down the hall to my room, though, I realized something had happened.

The hallway was full of people and I was pushed against the wall as a stretcher was wheeled past me. A few people were following it, whispering amongst themselves, while a few others were milling about in the hallway talking.

I was about to go ask a small group of two guys and a girl what had happened when the one guy pulled out a knife. I looked closer and realized that it was Matt, my roommate. The big man standing opposite him flinched a little, but didn't back down. I headed over, afraid this would get ugly. As I got closer, the girl stepped between the two men and Matt switched the knife from the big guy to the girl.

Wait, is that…

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**Cliffy, I know. I'm just so rude, huh? Honestly though, I think you can guess who it is. Just another reminder, this is a six POV story and here who's writing the other POV's:**

**Jasper **played by **Book2romantic**

**Emmett **played by **Sierra Echo Bravo**

**Alice **played by **Shaps**

**Rosalie **played by **Eevy Angel**

**Bella **played by **CarribbeanLady**

**Edward **played by **luvvampluvdog**

**If you don't feel like finding them all separately, then all of these stories are in a community called "Morehead City. NC"**

**Remember to drop a review, and as usual, if you have nothing to say about the chapter, then why don't you tell me the weirdest thing about yourself. Maybe you love eating pickles with cottage cheese, or are a really good opera singer. Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

Could that really be … "Bella?" In a few short seconds I took in all of her beauty. She sure had changed over the years, grown up. Her mahogany hair cascaded down her back, unstyled as usual and her eyes bore deep into mine as I called out her name. How much I had missed that face of hers. After taking in the exquisiteness of Bella, I took in the whole situation.

Bella was pressed up between two men, one big burly one, someone who I would not want to be tangling with. The other seemed strangely familiar. I racked my brain trying to remember where I had seen that face. Realization hit me like a rock, Matt, my roommate. I took a step towards the confrontation before seeing the knife. Pointed at Bella. What the hell was he thinking?

"Get away from her!" I yelled as I sprinted down the hallway towards the trio. I attempted to sprint right through the trio, trying to get Bella away from Matt and his knife. I barely registered the fist as it came barreling towards my face, almost as fast as I was running, until I found myself on the ground.

I glanced up to see Matt scowling, his fist still clenched, before Bella obscured my view. She reacted quicker than I thought possible. Before I knew it, she was kneeling on the ground next to me, her long hair sweeping across my chest. "Edward!" She cried. I groaned inside my head. I hadn't heard her voice in forever, and for my name to be the first thing she says, was like heaven, right smack dab in the middle of hell.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her hands fluttering around my face. I wished so much that they would touch. I could feel the warmth of her hands radiating from the small distance they were and I longed for her to run her fingers up and down my cheek like she used to.

I smiled at her, I couldn't really help it. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She was the one pressed up between two guys, both quite a bit bigger than her, and one carried a knife. All I had was a potential, and very likely, black eye. What was she worrying about me for? She was always this way though, caring about others more than herself.

She muttered something under her breath, something I didn't catch. I wish she would speak up. I longed to hear her voice again. Her hands still hesitated around my face, not quite touching, but very close. Oh how I wished she would just touch my face.

Almost as if she was reading my mind, her fingers lightly brushed my cheek. The second her fingers came in contact with my face, a spark seemed to ignite under her fingertips.

_Flashback_

_I was lying in my bed, the covers pulled up to my chin, a glass of water on my bedside table. The blinds were closed, but the sun's heat still found it's way around the gold shades. There was a light sheen of sweat on my forehead, yet my body was anything but warm. I heard footsteps on the stairs. They were jogging. My whole body tensed up, waiting for the fall that would surely soon occur._

_Sure enough, I heard a low thud followed by breaking glass and a muffled "oof." "Are you okay Bella?" I called out._

_"I'm fine. You stay in that bed Edward Anthony! If you get out it will only make it worse."_

_Chuckling inwardly to myself, I folded the sheets back and clambered out of bed to aid Bella. When she saw me emerge at the top of the stairs, a scowl appeared on her face._

_"Get back in bed this instant!" She almost shouted, already hoisting herself up from her sprawled position on the stairs. _

_"Are you okay?" I smiled a little, finding it mildly funny how clumsily Bella was. Thank goodness she didn't get hurt badly this time._

_"I'm fine. I don't think I'll even have a bruise from this one. Now go lay down."_

_"Yes mom," I sang, heading back to my room._

_Bella soon appeared carrying a tray with a cup of pills and a glass of water. She set the tray down on my bedside table and put her hand to my forehead. The second her fingertips touched my skin, a spark seemed to flow through out my body. She flinched a little and I knew she had felt it too._

_"So, how are you feeling?" she asked._

_"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I answered._

_End Flashback_

I was thrown back into the real world from my mind. I looked up to see Bella's eyes glistening with tears. I glanced around to see what I had missed, what would make my Bella sad. Matt's voice cut through the silence.

"So when I threaten to kill you, you listen."

What the hell was he talking about? I have a freakin psychopath killer as my roommate. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Bella yelled, seaming to read my mind once again. I sat up slightly, ready to jump up if he tried anything on Bella. He just glared at the huge muscle man, not seeming to have even heard Bella. An annoyed expression came over Bella's face as she jumped to her feet and smacked his arm. If her smacks were anything like they were back when I knew her, it wouldn't hurt, physically. It sure got his attention though. "Hey!" She shouted, right into his ear.

He turned around, not phased by her little outburst. I quickly sat up not liking the look in Matt's eyes.

"Edward was going to do onto me if I didn't do unto him first, weren't you Eddy?" Duh, I thought to myself. Get Bella out of the way, take care of the freak with the knife. That was my original plan, before it was rudely interrupted by Matt. He talked in a light, mocking tone, that was annoying the hell out of me.

"I'll kick your ass," I started, before being cut off by the freak again.

"Don't worry Eddy," He bent over and slung his bag over his shoulder. If only he knew how much I detested the name Eddy, he wouldn't have said that. He would pay for all this later, especially the tears I had seen in Bella's eyes. He would pay for those a hundred fold. "I was just leaving." He closed his knife and slipped it back into his pocket before turning and disappearing around the corner.

I glared at where he had just turned, making sure he wasn't coming back anytime soon. The glare soon became too much for my injured eye and I winced before closing my right eye. Bella sighed, her warm breath whooshing over my face. I reveled in the warmth and the smell. I was so content with feeling her breath that I didn't notice her hand reaching out towards my face. When she touched my eye, I winced again, definitely feeling the bruise starting to form. "Sorry," she muttered. She appraised my face for a minute, which was fine by me. It gave me a chance to stare into her eyes. They were still swirling pools of chocolate the seemed to go right into her soul. "Well, lets go find you some ice or something."

She put her hand out to help me up. I placed my hand in hers, loving how perfectly they seemed to fit together, but used my other hand to push myself up off the floor. The second I was upright and stable, I pulled Bella into my side, keeping my arm around her shoulder. It felt so right, like two pieces of a puzzle that went together. I was having trouble remembering why we had split up, not even emailing anymore. It felt like things had never changed, having her in my arms. I snuck glances down at her as much I thought was possible without bordering on stalkerish.

Before I even realized we had been walking, Bella turned us through a door and sat me down on a chair. "Stay," she said in what was supposed to be a stern voice. I smiled and rolled my eyes at her. She always used to be so worried and protective about me, and so far, it looked like that part of her hadn't changed one bit. She walked away, presumably to go find some kind of medical help.

The room was completely empty, but brought back a flood of memories from my teenage years. Bella and I spent lots of time in the emergency room, though it was hardly ever me that was being waited on, always her.

Before I knew it, Bella came back into my view carrying an ice pack. I smiled, I couldn't help it. I hadn't seen her face in who knows how long, and it had made me happy when I saw it every day. It was no surprise it made me happy after all this time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Bella put the ice pack on my eye. I reached my hand up to hold it, trapping her hand under mine. Though she had been holding the ice pack, her hand still felt warm. She slowly slid hers out from under mine, though almost reluctantly. I shook my head a little, trying to rid myself of that thought. I have got to stop thinking she actually wants me. I left her years ago. She has probably moved on by now, has a boyfriend or something.

We sat in silence for a bit, as a wrestled with my mind. I turned my face down to look at her through my good eye. I just couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of her. Whether or not she still liked me, it was pretty clear I had it bad for her.

She glanced up at me, and a smile broke over my face again. Something to be expected at this point. "So..," she said, trailing off. She cleared her throat, and a light blush crept over her cheeks. Oh, how I missed that blush. "Long time no see?" It came out sounding like a question, and I couldn't help but laugh. While I chuckled, Bella seemed to search my face as her got darker by the second. What did she find there? Did she like it or was she hugely disappointed in me?

I sighed and answered her question. "Yeah, I guess it's been awhile, huh?" She nodded in response to my statement. We sat in silence, neither of us quite sure what to say. "So, what have you been doing?" I hoped she would tell me everything, every single little detail of her life that I had missed. I wanted to know it all.

"Oh you know," She started, and paused, thinking. No I don't know, I screamed in my head. I know absolutely nothing and it's killing me! How in the world could I have let her go? Why did we not stay friends? Surely I could have found sometime to go down and visit her? "Not much. School, family, friends. I got a job." I silently willed her to keep talking. What classes was she taking in school? What college was she going to go to? How was her family? Had she kept the same friends over the years or were there new ones? Surely there was someone with the title of boyfriend in her life? Who was he? I hated him already, though if he made my Bella happy, I really should be proud of him, shouldn't I? Where was she working? Did she liked where she worked? I watched her as I thought of all these questions I desperately wanted to ask her, none of them seeming right coming from someone who all but disappears from your life. "What about you? What have you been up to?"

I frowned a little in response to her question, not near satisfied with her sort, bland answer. I thought through how much she really wanted to know. Was she just trying to make conversation? She was probably thinking about her boyfriend or even husband. I mentally shuddered at the thought of her married to another man. I had always imagined the two of us sharing the rest of our lives together. Guess that was never going to happen now. "Not much either. Just the usual." I shrugged my shoulders, following her lead in my answer. We paused for a moment, both lost in thought. "So, what brings you to Morehead City, North Carolina?"

Did she live here now? I hoped she wasn't here all by herself. Someone as accident prone as Bella should never be alone for any lengthy period of time. At the same time, I wished and hoped and prayed that no one was with her, especially no other male.

"Well, I was actually on my way home from a trip to Washington, D.C."

I nodded. Washington D.C. seemed like a place Bella would enjoy. All the history the museums. "That must have been fun." I waited for her to go into more detail, but knew that it was unlikely. She shrugged her shoulders and laughed a little. I loved the sound of her laugh and the way her hair fell off her shoulders and swung around to her back. Everything she did, every breath, every movement, was a work of art, and she didn't even realize it.

I got lost just staring at her. Watching her eyes sparkle in the light, and her hair swish from side to side slightly as he turned her head, the way her shoulders moved as she breathed. I could have watched her for days when she interrupted my thoughts with my name.

"Edward," She said. The way name seemed to roll off her tongue was intoxicating. I had heard it uttered with every accent imaginable and yet her voice was still my favorite.

"Hmm?" I replied, still to lost in my thoughts to form a coherent response.

"You know Matt?" I grimaced and tensed a bit, the images for only a few short moments before flashing in my head.

"He's my roommate." I paused and leaned closer to her, my lips only a short distance from her ears. "I want you to stay away from him Bella. He's dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt." It felt so good to be able to say her name. I wanted to utter it over and over again then scream it to the world.

She nodded, seeming to be in agreement with my warning. "I just didn't know him before. I thought he was nice, but he turned out to be," She paused, looking for the right word, "not." I smiled a little at all of her little mannerisms and quirks.

I nodded, completely in agreement with her statement. I didn't realize how close I was to her until I felt her fingers tracing up and down my arm. I leaned into her touch slightly, fighting the urge to crash my lips to hers, or at least hold her in my arms.

She couldn't feel that way though. If I tried anything, it would only make our muddled relationship more weird. Bella yawned, her mouth opening gracefully, her lips almost hypnotizing me. She brought her hand up from my arm to cover her mouth.

I looked down at her with my eyebrows raised. No doubt today had been a long day for her, and it was getting somewhat late anyway.

"I'm fine." She insisted, before I even had a chance to say anything. Even through all these years apart, she seemed to still know me like the back of her hand.

"No. You're tired. You should head to bed." As much as I wanted to spend more time with her, she shouldn't be staying up so late.

"I'm really not tired. I promise!" She looked up at me with her best puppy eyes. I had to try as hard as I had ever tried to not give in. She looked so cute when she did that, and her bottom lip jutting out was just begging to be kissed.

"Not gonna work this time. Come on, get to bed. Maybe we can talk tomorrow." I didn't want the maybe in there. I wanted to know for sure that we could talk tomorrow, that we could spend all day together, and the next, and the next. She didn't feel the same way though. She couldn't. I didn't want to pressure her or make her feel obliged to talk to me and spend time with me it she didn't want to.

She stood up and smiled at me before tracing something in my hand and walking away. The line her fingers had drawn in my palm was on fire. I wanted it to be a heart, but knew it most likely was just scribbles. I sighed as I watched her disappear around the corner.

I loped back to my room, my head filled with thoughts of Bella. I was at the door to my room before I knew it. I opened the door and shuffled in, throwing myself down on the bed. It was so good to see Bella again. I hoped that I would get to see her tomorrow. I hoped that somehow she still loved me. I hoped that… and all the lights went out.

**Thanks for reading guys. Hope you all had a fantastic V-Day. Remember to check out the other POV's on the story, especially Bella's since it's cool to see what they both are thinking. In case you forgot:**

**Eevy Angel writing Rosalie**

**Book2romantic writing Jasper**

**Sierra Echo Bravo writing Emmett**

**Shaps writing Alice**

**CarribbeanLady writing Bella**

**Also, drop me a review. If you could care less about the story, tell me your take on Valentines Day. Is it a waste of time? A conspiracy? The only time you can get you significant other to do anything remotely romantic?**


	5. Chapter 5

I quickly jumped to my feet, instantly alert in the sudden darkness. Something told me that my psycho roommate Matt might have something to do with this. I listen for any noise, but could hear nothing over my own breathing and people calling to each other out in the hall. I relaxed a little, realizing that I wouldn't have to be dodging any punches in the very near future.

Bella. Where was Bella? She was always clumsy and the sudden darkness couldn't be making it any easier to walk, or stand for the matter. I yanked open the door and hastily stepped out into the hall. The last thing I wanted to happen would be for her to get hurt. I turned my head both ways, but could see hardly anything. All the windows had been boarded up and it looks as though no one in this hall had thought to bring a flashlight or matches. To my left, there was a tiny glow, so that was the way I headed.

I walked as fast as I could, while trying to dodge all the people milling around in the dark hallway, clinging to the wall or bunched up together in groups of friends, acquaintances, or simply people they had run into in the dark. I soon made it to the commons area, while only having bumped into one large group of shaking girls. Bella was no where to be found and that frightened me. She should not be left alone, especially in the dark. Who knows what objects she could find to trip over or run into.

I turned back towards the hallway and headed down the hall, hoping she might be roaming the hall, or more likely for her, standing with her back against a wall, not moving. She was no where to be seen and I was already at the end of the hallway, near the bathrooms. I stopped and leaned against the wall trying to figure out where she might be. My hand unconsciously started running through my hair, no doubt messing it up even more. I was totally lost in my thoughts of where Bella could be, that I almost didn't hear the shriek that came from the bathroom.

The shriek seemed oddly familiar. I racked my brain trying to place the sound.

_Flash Back_

_I was sitting in my room at our summer home, leafing through the copy of Wuthering Heights Bella had lent me. I had to be very careful while reading it because she had examined the book so many times that the back cover had fallen off and many of the pages were half loose. There were a couple of food stains on some pages and it looked as though it had spent a few hours out in the rain at one time. I would have to buy her a new copy soon._

_I was just about to start in again when I heard a shriek followed by a thump. I rushed to my window and looked down to see Bella lying in a heap on the ground. She later claimed she had been trying to climb up to my window like I had many times done with hers. _

_End Flash Back_

That's where I had heard the shriek before. I whipped around and was at the door to the girls bathroom in one quick step. My hand shot out and grasped the handle before my years of manners lessons clicked in. I couldn't just throw open the door to a girls bathroom, especially if I was mistaken and it really wasn't Bella in the bathroom. It had been years since I had seen her, not counting this afternoon and I very easily could be remembering her shriek wrong. On the other hand, if it were some other girl or even if Bella were in there showering, or something of the sort, it would be extremely ungentlemanly of me to just barge in. My internal conflict was short.

"Bella? Is that you?" I called into the bathroom, then leaned a little closer to the door so I wouldn't miss the response.

"Don't come in!" The answer was shrieked, and after I heard a groan of pain and a little shuffling, making me want to burst in the all the quicker, but I held back, not wanting to embarrass Bella. With the intensity of her blushes, if I walk in on her while she was indecent, her face would be permanently painted red. Not that I would mind so much. I loved seeing her blush. I had a small inkling, though, that she wouldn't appreciate it as much as I would.

"Are you okay? Can I come in? What happened?" The questions poured out of my mouth. I was surprised at the speed they exited my mouth. I leaned even closer than the first time, anxious for her answer.

"I'm fine!" Her voice was higher then usual, and it cracked once. "Just don't come in" Her voice was very panicked, and I hoped that it was because of embarrassment and not because she was bleeding to death or anything.

I waited for a second, wondering if I should keep waiting out here or go in and see if she needed help. The gentleman inside won out and I called out to her from outside of the closed door. "Did you fall?"

It was quite for a second before I heard a muted thud and a scream of pain. There was no holding back as I threw the door open this time. "Bella!" I called her name out as I ran in, worried about what happened to her. I crouched by her sprawled form, my eyes roaming around trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Did you slip?" I asked, crouching down next her. "What hurts? Can you get up?" My mind started running through different symptoms and how to treat broken bones. My father had been a doctor and after he passed away, my mother decided that some sort of doctor would be a suitable profession for me. She was even nice enough to let me decide what field of medicine I would pursue. I rolled my eyes, amazed that I had put up with my lack of freedom for so long. All of my medical classes were finally coming in handy, though.

"Yeah. The lights went out right as I was getting out and I tripped because I couldn't see the edge." I glanced over at the shower stall and saw what she was talking about. There was a little barrier to keep the water from going out of the stall. I looked back over to Bella. My eyes were slowly getting more and more adapted to the dark and I could see much better now.

She had a towel wrapped around her. Thank goodness for that. I don't even want to think about what would happen if she didn't. Her face was alright, except for a bruise forming above her left eye. Neither of her arms seemed to be broken, at least they were both bent normally. Her towel barely hit the top of her thighs and it took a little bit of willpower to continue will my assessment of her injuries. Her right leg was quite scratched up and there was a deep looking cut on her right knee. A pool of blood was slowly forming on the floor underneath her leg.

"Can you stand, or do you need some help?" She seemed to think for a second and raised her head to look at my face, before letting if flop back down to the floor and answer her question.

"I think I might need a little help." She blushed a little, and I smiled at how easily embarrassed she was.

"What are you laughing at?" She must have raised her head back up and seen my smirk.

"Technically, I'm not laughing. I was simply smiling." I smiled down at her again. She stared straight into my eyes and raised her eyebrows. She used to do this all the time when her questions weren't specific and I answered evasively. Maybe not as much had changed as I had originally thought. "At your blush." I spoke as if I had meant to finish my sentence all along. She rolled her eyes at me, and pushed herself up on her arms in an attempt to stand up.

I reached out my arms and grabbed under her arms to assist in helping her stand. It took quite a bit of work and I had to clean out and change my thoughts many times when the skimpy towel slipped to was pulled up. Finally, she was upright, with me supporting almost all of her weight. "Can you stand?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Edward Masen?" I chuckled for real this time. I just couldn't help myself. Every second I spent with her, I realized that she was still the same Bella. The Bella I had fallen in love with and then lost.

"Okay, I'm going to let go now then." I pulled my arms back only to trust them forward again when she started collapsing. I caught her just before she hit the ground. I held her, hovering above the hard, and quite dirty, floor while I debated. Would she be alright if I picked her up and simply carried her? Or would that seem weird to her?

What the hell. I needed to hold her and I sure as hell wasn't going to force to just limp back to her room, or wherever she was headed. I scooped her up bridal style. She shrieked a little, obviously it wasn't what she had expected.

"So where to?" She thought it thought for a bit, biting her bottom lip like she did when she was deep in thought. It looked so kissable, all plump and red.

"My room, I guess. I kind of need to get some new clothes." I glanced down at her and couldn't believe I had forgotten that she was clad in nothing but a tattered old towel. I glanced around the room and scooped up her pile of clothes as well and set it on top of her stomach. "Thanks," she mumbled. I just smiled, happy that she was here, here in the shelter, here in my arms, and here in my life, for the time being.

I walked out the door, not bothering to move the chair and allow it to close. I made it to her room without bumping into anyone or anything for that matter. She dug around in the pocket of her jeans, having trouble finding the right pocket in the dark. Finally, she fished out a key and stuck it in the lock. The door clicked and I pushed it open with my foot.

I instantly turned to the bed on the right, recognizing the suitcase from where it had stood in her closet so many years. "How did you…" she left her question hanging as I carefully set her on the edge of her bed. She grabbed the towel just before I fell. I breathed a sigh of relief and said a silent prayer of thanks. I wasn't sure what would have happened if it had dropped.

"I'll just, uh, step out." My left had was in my pocket and my right hand started running through my hair. Bella's eyes jumped to the top of my head with my hand and she smiled at it. I grinned back at her and made my way to the door, closing it slowly behind me.

I crossed the hallway and leaned against the wall watching the door and listening for when she was ready. Ready for what, I wasn't sure. Maybe she wouldn't even be expecting me to stay here. The odds that she reciprocated my feelings for her were slim to none and I didn't want to push anything. I was happy just to be talking to her again. As much as I wanted more, I wasn't going to loose what I had, not this time.

After some time, I heard a tentative, "Edward?" called out. I stepped up to the door and inched it open, hoping she was fully clothed, and also hoping she wasn't. No matter how many classes I had been forced to sit through, there wasn't much anyone could do about the testosterone in me.

Bella was lying down on her bed, clothed in her pajamas. A twinge of rejection shot through me. She was going to bed. She patted the edge of her mattress, inviting me to sit down. I loped over and sat down. "How did you find me?" Her question had broken a comfortable silence, though I was grateful to hear her voice again. I would never tire of the sound.

"In the bathroom you mean?" She nodded her head, clarifying that I had understood her question right. "Well, I was," I paused, wondering if she would be frightened by my true answer, think me a creep, stalker, or pervert. I decided to chance it. "I was looking for you actually. I know how clumsy you are and I don't think the absence of light would help very much." And I really wanted to see you, I added on silently.

She nodded again, taking all this in. "How did you know I was in the bathroom, though?"

"That was all good luck, actually. I had looked all over and couldn't find you anywhere. I was at the end of the hall, across from the bathrooms when I heard you."

She nodded again, and I got the feeling she was getting really tired. It had been a long day and it was starting to get quite late. "Is your knee okay?"

"Yeah. I have a first aid kit in my luggage, so I just patched it up." I nodded, and stayed sitting a few more seconds, not wanting to leave. When I finally convinced myself that the church wasn't that big and that I was bound to run into her again, I stood up.

"Well, its getting late and you look tired. I guess I'll see you in the morning." She just nodded again. Wow, she's either tired of me or just plain tired. I hoped with all my might that it would be the last one, but there was a doubt, a nagging voice in the back of my head and suggested otherwise.

"Goodnight Edward. Thanks for saving me, again." She paused, before taking on the again at the end. I smiled at her and left the room.

The walk back to my room was short, but that was all the time it took for me to convince myself that she didn't want me anymore and she was merely being polite. For some reason, this made me quite livid and the idea of spending the night with Matt wasn't brightening my outlook on life much.

By the time I got to my room, I was muttering to myself about what an idiot I was for coming on so strongly to Bella like that. I threw open the door and let it slam shut with quite a bang.

"Edward?" A voice called out from the darkness. Shit, I had almost forgotten about my roommate, or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"What?" I replied back, through clenched teeth. His voice brought back the memory of that afternoon and the nice shiner that was surely on my face by this point.

"Why are you here?" Why am I here? What kind of a question is that? Did he somehow forget that we were rooming together? I let out a deep breath and tried to get a hold of my emotions. It didn't seem to be working to well.

"What?" It was much to late for stupid mind games. I wish he would just shut up and let me get to sleep.

"Why aren't you off with the dumb brown haired chick trying to do everything except not end up with dumb green eyed, brown haired little kids?" Was he serious? Did he think I was got in bed with a girl every night? I bet ne would never guess how completely wrong his thoughts were. He would never believe me if I told him the truth about my sex life. How could he think of Bella that way though? I was quite close to the end of the rope, and hoped that he would just shut the hell up.

"Bella," I practically hissed, "is not someone you should be talking about. Especially since she saved your skin." Did this guy have no sense of gratitude? Or common courtesy?

"Yeah," He said, and I could almost hear his eyes rolling in the darkness. "My hand might have really started to hurt if I hit you too many more times like that first one."

That was it! Who the hell did he think he was? "Don't talk to me about Bella ever again." I absolutely livid now as I made my way closer to him, ready to throw a punch his way if he didn't stop.

"Don't worry. Clumsy damsels in distress really aren't my type. And she seemed plenty distressed when she was falling all over the bathroom when this blackout quit."

My fist shot out and connected with what felt like the soft area of his stomach. I was pleased with myself. It cause me no pain, but I was almost positive it leave him breathless for a bit. Before I could even pull my hand back, he had grabbed it and threw me into his cot. My ankles connect with the metal frame of his bed. "Fuck." There was no way I going to let some stuck up bastard beat me up.

His hand glanced off the side of face and I heard him jump back before I could use his own moves on him. At least he didn't connect with my eye. I didn't need a bigger bruise there than I already had. I jumped out of the bed and made my way towards the spot where I head his labored breathing.

My fist lashed out again, but I hit nothing but his arm. I didn't get into too many fights, my parents wouldn't allow it, and Matt's experience was very obvious. Before I could pull my arm back, he grabbed it again, shoving me against the wall and twisting it behind my back. I cringed mentally, but held in any verbal indication of the pain I was in. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Next time I threw a punch, I would be sure to retract my hand faster. There was no way in hell he was going to keep doing this to me.

"Edward," His voice mockingly came out after a few moments of my struggling. "Do you want me to kill you? Because I can if you really want."

"Fuck you." I shouted. Definitely not the most intelligent thing to say, but he had insulted my Bella, beat me up more than once, and was an overall jerk. Intelligence didn't matter in the least at the moment.

My comment was rewarded with a slap to the back of my head. I was in no way prepared for the hit and my face slammed into the wall. I felt a small trickle of blood start to make its way over my lip.

"In the future, I'll make sure and let potential rapists alone with your girl." Potential rapists? This only furthered my theory that this guy had serious mental issues. What in the hell was he talking about?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I had had it with his stupid mind games.

"Come on, the big guy? Who was looking for the girl who had just been beaten up and tried to kill herself? Did you figure he was the good guy or that Bella is so much a bigger threat than you that I was pulling a knife on her?" He said it like he was explaining a very simple concept to a very stupid kid. I thought for a moment. Was that guy really a rapist? Something had happened to that blonde girl and he seemed to know her.

"I suppose maybe I did misjudge the situation." I couldn't believe I was saying this, but I was sure that if I didn't, the brawl would last all night and could very easily go well into the morning. "You didn't need to punch me for it." He needed to learn that one day he would meet someone who could play his game and he may not want to be throwing punches every chance he gets when that time comes around. On the other hand, I would pay good money to see this guy beaten senseless.

"Yeah, well, now that you got in your sucker punch, we're even." I rolled my eyes. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. This was going to be a long stay.

"Sorry," I told him, rubbing my arm as he released me. "But you can see how I would misinterpret it." I walked back to my cot, as did Matt. "Are we cool then?" I really didn't want this sort of thing happening every single night.

He scoffed in response and left the room. What the hell? I shook my head, trying to get rid of everything in it so I could just go to bed. This day was way to long for my liking and if today was any indication, I wouldn't be getting an easy day anytime soon.

I changed and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as I hit the pillow. I noticed when my roommate came back in, but ignored it, hoping he wouldn't throw a punch into my gut.

A while after Matt had crawled into his bed and stopped tossing and turning, there was a knock at the door. Are you shitting me? Who the hell was at our door at, I glanced down at my watch, 5:30 in the am? "Is someone really knocking on our door, at 5:30 in the morning?" Maybe I was just imaging it.

There was no answer from the other side of the room, but I knew he had heard it too and woken up. His breathing had quickened slightly. I sighed. "I know you're awake and it isn't for me." Bella would be sound asleep by now and no one else would pay me a visit at this hour.

"The only people I know here are you and Bella, so even if it is someone I know, you'd want to be answering it anyway." I sighed again, and groggily dragged myself out of bed. If it really was for him…

I pulled open the door to find a pretty blonde with bruises dotting her face on the other side. Not for me. I smirked a little. "Can I help you?" As pissed off as I was that my pathetic excuse for a roommate had made me get the door, I wasn't going to take it out on her.

"Um, yeah. Could you send your roommate out?" She seemed almost hesitant of asking, like she wasn't quite sure if she had the right room or if she really wanted to talk to him.

"Alright." My smirk increased. "Matt, you have a visitor." I tried to sound as false cheery as possible, hoping it would piss him off.

He slowly rolled off of his bed and made his way to the door. I stooped back to my cot, glad for the chance to get back to sleep. Their conversation was loud enough, and the church quiet enough, that I could hear the most of it. When I realized that the girl had simply brought a towel to Matt and that he wasn't even going to take it, I went over the edge. Was it really so hard to get a decent amount of sleep in this place.

"That's it." I stood up out of bed and grabbed my bag. "I can't take this room anymore. I'm out of here."

I pushed past the two of them, not bothering to look at either of them. Finally I was out of my little slice of hell on earth.

**A/N: dodges rotten vegetable Well guys, that only took, what, a few forever's to get posted? Sorry about the long wait, but at least it's a little bit of a longer chapter. I've bee talking to Bella (aka CarribbeanLady) and you are all in for a real treat next chapter. The story definitely takes off after this.**

**Be sure to read the other POV's. You can find them all in the "Morehead City, NC" community.**

**Review! If you have nothing to say about my writing, the story line, the characters, or Twilight in general, tell me your favorite kind of weather. If that seems like a stupid question to you (like it does to me) tell me your favorite word or phrase or quote. I 'collect' quotes and like finding new ones, plus I think that most people have a word they just love to say. Mine would have to be ludicrous, luminous, luscious, or nefarious. **

**Sorry about the extra long AN and hopefully the next update will be much quicker!**


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